I meet with the urologist today. The first thing he does is show me the scan they took while I was in the ER. He scrolls with the mouse, and its like seeing a camera zoom down the insides of my body. You can see each layer clearly, where the bones are, where the organs are, all of it!
He stops to point out a small blob of light. That is the stone in the tube. There is a smaller dot of light in the kidney itself. What an amazing scan! These digital images look nothing like the old x-rays where you could barely make out the skeleton. The next step is to go get another scan to see if the stone has moved. He sends me down to the lab, and in minutes - literally minutes - they take 3 shots and tell me to go back to the doctor. He will have the images before I get up the stairs. This is not like it was last time I had a kidneystone!
The doctor and I peer at the new images. Yes, the stone has moved. It is close to the bladder. He is hoping that in a few more days it will drop into the bladder. I also hope it does, but I admit that I am skeptical. And a bit fearful. With only one tube obstructed, I can still pass water. If this darn thing gets stuck in the tube from the bladder out, nothing will be moving. Yikes! What a rotten time to have to deal with this mess.
He tells me to come back in a week for another look. And drink water. Six 12 ounce glasses every day. Don't overdo it. OK. I head back to class wishing I could wave some magic wand and draw that darn stone out without so much as an ouch. No matter. Right now I have to regroup and get my head back into the classroom. Still, that amazing scan keeps me smiling.
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